Africa Risen was an amazing book for me to find out more about afrofuturism. It's a short story collection, so some stories I liked more and others less, but I felt the quality was really high and I wish I had more time with this book, to absorb everything more and at my own pace. I'm definitely going to buy it and re-read it.

An absolutely amazing collection of short stories of speculative fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora! As with every anthology collection there are a couple that I wasn't a huge fan of, but most of these stories were fantastic, I've definitely found some new authors to keep an eye on!

Great collection of African based or inspired SFF stories. As a whole I like the concept and the collection of the stories. Lots of variety and lots of new to me authors that I will be checking out and looking out for in the future.

There were a mix of stories covering quite a breadth of science fiction and fantasy tropes. I found most of the characters relatable on some level and enjoyed most of the stories. I particularly loved the Yoruba inspired stories that look into their deities and the mythology surrounding them. I am seeing a renaissance of that genre of books so really enjoyed getting stuck into those stories.

Would definitely recommend as a way of expanding your horizons and as an introduction to new authors.

I enthusiastically picked up Africa Risen: A New Era in Speculative Fiction having really enjoyed another collection that Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki edited. This one, too, is fantastic. Inevitably in an anthology some stories worked better for me than others but overall, this is an excellent collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror that showcases and celebrates the diversity of African authors’ work in and with these genres. There is not a single story in this collection that I didn’t like, and some I absolutely loved; a few I did skip for ‘content warnings’ related reasons (it’s beyond the scope of this review to get into a detailed content warnings list, but it was two stories’ sexual violence related content - content I don’t think they handled very well - that made me skip ahead). Some of my absolute favourites from this collection include: "Ghost Ship" by Tananarive Due, "The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library" by Tobi Ogundiran, “Hanfo Driver” by Ada Nnadi, “A Dream of Electric Mothers” by Wole Talabi, “Simbi” by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, “Housewarming for a Lion Goddess” by Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga, “Ruler of the Rear Guard” by Maurice Broaddus, “The Sugar Mill” by Tobias S. Bucknell, “Liquid Twilight” by Ytasha Womack, “The Papermakers” by Akua Lezli Hope, “Star Watchers” by Danian Darrell Jerry, and “Biscuits & Milk” by Dare Segun Falowo — yes, that’s a lot of favourites but there are a lot of great stories in here, some from authors I’ve read before and others from authors I look forward to reading more from.

*Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan/Tor-Forge for providing an ARC in exchange for this review*.

Overall, the quality of the stories in this collection is really high! All the stories are speculative, but range all across spectrum: we have alternate history, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, fantasy, even some horror. The big range will make sure that there is something for everyones taste here.

It's also a great introduction to African and diaspora sff authors, so I would especially recommend this to people who want to branch out and read more by African authors. I can guarantee there's atleast one story here you'll love!

All in all, I really enjoyed this collection. As always, there is some stories here that missed the mark for me, but I found most to be pretty great!

This collection of short stories was incredible! There were more stories in it than the typical anthology: quite a few of the stories were pretty dark, some were more abstract and difficult to grasp, but all of them were intriguing in their own right. There were so many unique settings and premises, I'm sure any fan of speculative fiction would be able to find stories within this collection that suits their fancy (although there may be hits and misses depending on one's tastes).

This is a short story collection of science fiction and fantasy stories from African authors and authors from the African diaspora. With 32 stories there us a wild range of stories from querying the collection computer mind of all people living in a city to a multiple stories featuring Mami wata, or mermaids, to ghosts of the enslaved of sugar plantation haunting their descendant.

This was a very large collection, and was surprisingly more horror focused than I expected. And with these two factors, I really struggled with it overall. There were also some stories that were so dreamlike or opaque that I couldn't really tell what was happening. But there were some that made you think and some that were intriguing, even if I didn't love them. And there were a handful that really stuck with me and I really enjoyed.

- A Dream of Electric Mothers by Wole Talabi is a a really beautiful story that features a computer hive mind made up of everyone who has lived in a country for some time. And the story follows a woman who is struggling with the loss of her mother and has the opportunity to query the collective for a political reason.

- Door Crashers by Franka Zeph follows a time traveler working for a toxic organization in a field with other time travelers. It's disillusioned but quickly builds a world for the reader and got me invested.

- Mami Wataworks by Russell Nichols follows a young inventor that has to fight against the norm and convention of society and religion to try to make it possible for her town to overcome a persistent water storage, at risk to her own personhood.

Thank you to Tordotcom and the editors for partnering with b2weird and gifting copies for a book tour!

So many unique, divergent worlds to explore in this short story collection that I am sure that anyone could find something to love between these covers! As with many short story collections, there will certainly be some hits and misses but overall this was such rich and exciting tome to explore. I was particularly drawn to the Bayou queen, the librarian, and the ghost ship! I am so excited to add so many new authors to my TBR and this collection to my shelf to revisit time and time again.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an advance digital copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was a case of the book not being a good match for me. I tend to be very picky with short stories and burn out on reading them. In that way, over 500 pages of very short stories (32 total), so averaging only 15-16 pages each is just not my cup of tea. I was hoping for some longer ones (such as 10 at 50 pages each). There were some true standouts, but it just dragged by the end. I also had some issues with the tone. There were some that were really dark and had fairly graphic sexual assault and considering the lovely cover and title, I was not expecting it at all. I want to note that for other potential readers.

as most other collections of short stories, especially ones that are collaborations between different authors, i found africa risen to be a bit of a mixed bag. some of the stories were fine, others not so much.

Good book with many great stories and writers. My favorite story was March Magic and Liquid Twilight. Some of the stories were longer than I'd hope for a short stories but generally good reads overall. I look forward to checking out more from these authors.

Short story collections are often hard to review. But this one is easy. Almost all of the stories are amazing. When everything works, it's easy to recommend a collection. The tones from story to story bounces around, but I've decided this is an asset. You are able to go from something hard and serious to something gentle and heartwarming. The hardest part of this collection would be picking a favorite, not picking it up.

Incredible anthology! Such diverse themes and concepts and plot lines and there wasn’t a single story that I didn’t like! I read this for my book club and am so glad I did. Loved being introduced to so many new-to-me authors too!

I’ve really enjoyed digging into this collection with its wealth of authors. I also received an ALC and loved the plethora narrators. This anthology has RANGE. As all short story collections, some were knock outs and others were lackluster, but the sheer breadth of content more than made up for it. It took me over a month to get through. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Tor. I’ve purchased a copy so I can keep it forever.

Africa Risen is a great collection by new-to-me writers. Each story provides a fascinating take on common science fiction or fantasy plots, and I appreciated reading tales that weren't influenced by Western culture. There were many stories I enjoyed and only a few I didn't care for. What follows is a list of all the stories within this collection, listed in order of my preference:

IRL
The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library
The Papermakers
A Soul of Small Places
The Sugar Mill
Ghost Ship
Biscuit and Milk
Air to Shape Lungs
When the Mata Wata Met a Demon
The Blue House
Mami Wataworks
A Girl Crawls in a Dark Corner
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow
Ruler of the Rear Guard
Exiles of Witchery
Door Crashers
Rear Mirror
Hanfo Driver
A Dream of Electric Mothers
Star Watchers
Liquid Twilight
A Knight in Tunisia
The Taloned Beast
The Carving of War
Peeling Time (Deluxe Edition)
Housewarming for a Lion Goddess
The Devil is Us
Cloud Mine
March Magic
Simbi
Once Upon a Time in 1967
Deification of Ogodo

I would recommend this collection to anyone looking for a sci-fi/fantasy collection written from a new perspective. With the large collection of stories, there's sure to be something for everyone.

In the last few years Speculative Fiction has quickly risen to the very near top, if not the top itself, of my favourite genres list. The great thing about this kind of "umbrella" genre is that it gets to include elements from many other genres, while solidly founded in the un-real, or rather, in the things not proven to exist or yet in existence. And so we get horror elements, a lot of fantasy and science fiction influences, and much more. There are also many brilliant authors working in Speculative Fiction and with this collection Thomas, Ekpeki, and Knight have introduced me to a whole new set. Thanks to Tordotcom and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Speculative Fiction, as I said, is a wonder. And so is the African continent. Everyone who has looked at a map of Africa knows the wide expanse of land, culture, and history it covers. Africa Risen practically sings with the many different voices it contains and while each voice sings its own tune, these stories nonetheless come together into a unified song. Various themes come to the fore in this collection, specifically concerns about climate, the searching of a home, the desire for connection with one's self and with the past, and the unlimited capacity of the human mind to wonder. Whether these stories take place in Morocco or Ghana or South-Africa, they are united by these very human themes. But no matter how united they are, each author brings a unique skill and way of writing to the table. Each story is infused with a specific culture, with particular details that rise above the idea of 'Africa' as a block. Yes, these stories are united, but they are also a sign of the diversity of this continent, of the way each element adds to the whole.

Africa Risen contains 32 stories, meaning this is quite a large collection. As such I can't really describe or discuss every single story. For a full list of the authors included, please scroll down. For now, I'll just describe some of my favourites and the ones that intrigued me most, so that you nonetheless get a taste of what Africa Risen has to offer. 'March Magic' by WC Dunlap was the story that made me fall in love with this collection. With her marsh and her people under threat, Mama rises again and calls to her her sisters from across the US. It is a story of diaspora, of sisterhood, of unity under pressure, and of violence. I loved the rhythmic urgency of it, the way it felt both deeply grounded and yet utterly fantastical. Another favourite was 'A Dream of Electric Mothers' by Wole Talabi, where an AI Mother, made up of everyone's memories becomes a source of potential wisdom. It was really touching and I loved the mix between culture and technology Talabi explored. 'Housewarming for a Lion Goddess' by Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga is a beautiful mix of reality and mythology, of past trauma and present difficulty. It is very lyrical without departing from real life. 'A Knight in Tunisia' by Alex Jennings felt like a really different story, in the sense that it felt very modern and speculative. It is like an introspective take on the superhero narrative, set in Northern Africa.

In their introduction Thomas, Ekpeki, and Knight describe the growing recognition of African voices in the Speculative Fiction genre and state that '[t]his anthology is inspired by this exciting growth and celebrates African and Afrodiasporic writers and the many stories they have to share with the world.' What struck me most was the beautiful balance they achieve between African and Afrodiasporic writers, almost showing the way African storytelling and mythology have found roots all across the world. To a large extent this spread is due to the injustices and crime of slavery, but Africa Risen also shows how universally true these African stories are.

Authors Included:
Dilman Dila
WC Dunlap
Steven Barnes
Joshua Uchenna Omenga
Russell Nichols
Nuzo Onoh
Franka Seph
Yvette Lisa Ndlovu
Wole Talabi
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga
Alex Jennings
Mirette Bahgat
Timi Odueso
Maurice Broaddus
Tlotlo Tsamaase
Tobias S. BUckell
Somto Ihezue Onyedikachi
Tananarive Due
Ytasha Womack
Oyedotun Damilola Muees
Alexis Brooks de Vita
Tobi Ogundiran
Moustapha Mbacke Diop
Akua Lezli Hope
Mame Bougouma Diene and Woppa Diallo
Shingai Njeri Kagunda
Ada Nnadi
Ivana Akotowaa Ofori
Chinelo Onwualu
Danian Darrell Jerry
Dare Segun Falowo

While not every story in a collection can or will be a hit, Africa Risen is consistently refreshing, intriguing, surprising, and touching.

Africa Risen is a speculative fiction collection full of beautifully written stories by BIPOC authors! As with any short story collection, there were certain stories I enjoyed more than others, but I really loved this collection overall. There was only one author I was already familiar with going into Africa Risen, so this book introduced me to quite a few new-to-me writers that I will definitely be keeping an eye out for!

Here are some VERY brief and honestly insufficient descriptions of a few of my favorite stories from Africa Risen:

"March Magic" by WC Dunlap:
A group of witches gather to conjure a dream into reality. 

"IRL" by Steven Barnes:
A virtual reality kingpin burns his digital empire to the ground to revenge an IRL attack on his family. 

"Rear Mirror" by Nuzo Onoh:
A group of priests face off against the spirit of a dead woman who does not want to be cremated. 

"The Sugar Mill" by Tobias B. Buckell:
A real estate agent tries to sell a former sugar mill but is haunted by the ghosts of those who died there. 

"Ghost Ship" by Tananarive Due:
A woman smuggling an illegal cat onto a ship finds that getting caught with the pet is the least of her worries during the voyage.

"The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library" by Tobi Ogundiran:
When a traveling salesman borrows a library book and loses it, he finds himself stalked by a supernatural librarian determined to get her book back. 

"Exiles of Witchery" by Ivana Akotowaa Ofori:
Black female Doctor Who-esque character saves two girls from a witch hunt. 

This is only a few of the stories I loved! There were some I couldn't even begin to try describing in one sentence.

I really loved this collection! While every single story wasn't a favorite, the collection overall is fantastic. I love the African inspiration and the African Futurism explored throughout the stories. The stories were unique, and I loved the exploration of family, climate, mythology, change, and community. I highly recommend this one!

Great short story collection. So much of our ideas of African literature are diaspora reads, and it's nice to get a collection of African writers writing truly African stories. Check it out!

Enjoyed this one, wasn't sure what to expect but I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book